A Proposal
by Secret Girlfriend
Summary: Peeta and Katniss a few months after the rebellion. They couldn't survive without each other.


**So I LOVE the Hunger Games and finally watched the DVD today (I haven't seen it since the midnight premiere)! Then I was cleaning and thought "Katniss would never be the type of housewife to clean," and then sparked this idea (no pun intended). Yes, a different topic than glee, I know. But enjoy anyway!**

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Katniss climbed the snow covered porch in front of Peeta's house, excited to be inside by the warm fire. It had only been a few months since she had pulled herself together and she was still taking baby steps. First she started bathing and eating, then calling her mother and Gale in the other districts. Her nightly walks outside were new and the fresh air was still overwhelming.

Not bothering to knock she pushed open the door, the smell of baking raisin bread filling her nostrils. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply, also noticing the scent of pine. Without opening her eyes, she opened her arms to Peeta, knowing he was standing in front of her.

His arms went around her waist without hesitation. As he buried his face in hair she put her arms around his neck she leaned into his chest, now one of the most familiar things in the world.

It hadn't taken Katniss long to realize who she couldn't survive without, as Gale had put it. It hadn't been Gale who had retrieved her from her isolation. He hadn't come back to district 12 for her. It was Peeta.

It had taken her a while though to let him touch her whenever he felt like it. After years of never wanting a relationship with anyone, deciding to open up to one person had been difficult. She still didn't know what to call her and Peeta's relationship.

Pulling away she locked eyes with him. "Hi."

"Hi," he said wrapping a blanket around her still shivering body. "I put out food by the fire. The bread's almost done." He kissed her forehead before heading back into the kitchen.

Katniss went into the living room taking her usual place by the fire, some lamb stew waiting for her. It had been like this for a little while now, Katniss basically living with Peeta, sleeping and eating at his house, rarely entering her own house. She hated being in her own home, memories of her mother and Prim, of Gale's broken body. It was empty and lonely.

Peeta had felt the same way, his parents never coming home from district 13 as people started returning. They had called him a couple times, telling him they had stayed behind as cooks for the district, but other than that he was alone.

They had Haymitch of course, but he along with Greasy Sae and some other people- many old regulars from the Hob- were very busy trying to put the district back together. They were under direction of a new mayor who Katniss had yet to meet.

Not that she needed to, but she knew eventually she would. Haymitch had told her that he was getting more calls than he could sort through, asking for her presence as the country was being rebuilt. He was being good to her though, not letting anyone see her until she was ready.

And Katniss might have looked ready, finally at a normal weight again with only a few scars from the rebellion left, but those things were visible, and repairable. Both she and Peeta knew they would always have scars from the long three years they had been put through, ones that would never heal.

They were both still having nightmares, tossing in bed while the other tried to wake them. Katniss still froze whenever Peeta would suddenly grip whatever he was holding with white knuckles, fighting off the effects of the tracker jackers. His paintings were enough proof that the past still haunted them. Paintings of Finnick, the arenas, the square before the bombs went off.

When Peeta came into the living room, tears were rolling down her cheeks. He set the bread down and quickly sat with her, pulling her into him, stroking her hair, comforting her, as he had to do often.

After a while he finally asked, "You love me, real or not real?"

She pulled herself up right, still clutching one of his hands, looking right into his eyes. "Real."

"Then what are we Katniss?"

She glanced down at their entwined hands, lost for words like she usually was. "I could never explained us if I tried to Peeta."

"Well, try." He removed his hand from hers, pushing her loose hair behind her ear, keeping his hand there, stroking her face with his thumb. "When you look at me, what do you see?"

Stalling for time, she caught his hand with hers to keep it there, enjoying his touch, something she thought she would never admit to after the rebellion. This had been her trouble all along, words, feelings. They weren't her style.

"When I look at you, Peeta Mellark," she paused trying to gather her thoughts. "When I look at you, I see a friend, someone I trust, one of the few people left who understand what I've been put through, but," she sucked in her breath, not sure these were the right words. "But most importantly, I see someone who I couldn't live without. I see the calm to my fire."

A small smile spread across his face, and all Katniss wanted to do at this point was kiss him, but instead she asked, "And what do you see?"

His smile grew wider. "Katniss Everdeen, when I look at you I still see the girl in the red dress, who was so excited to sing the meadow song. Only she grew up to be a rebellious, scarred, and beautiful fighter, and the love of my life."

As always his words were perfect and beautiful. She had never heard him do wrong, and knew he never would, not with her anyway. "So then what are we, Peeta?"

"Well, I was hoping," he said as he pushed himself off the couch, "that since we're already kind of engaged that you would do me the honor of keeping your promise and marry me."

Katniss watched as he dropped to one knee in front of her, the lamb stew and bread forgotten and pulled out a simple gold band from his pocket. It was a vision that until recently she never would've thought would bring her so much joy.

She contained her joy though. Leaning forward she rested her forehead on his. "Are you sure Peeta? I mean, you're asking one of the most unstable, broken messes to live with you for the rest of your life. Are you sure you've put enough thought into this?"

He didn't miss her joking tone. Chuckling he responded, "I think I have."

"You've thought about how I'm not going to want kids for about another ten years? About how we'll probably have to deal with Haymitch everyday together and that I'll never do the cleaning right or be able to cook for us?"

Still laughing Peeta pulled Katniss to her feet. "Yes, yes and did you really think I was ever going to let you do the cooking?"

Katniss laughed, sticking out her hand. "Of course I'll marry you."

Smiling he put the ring on her finger. "There, much better than the one I used at the Capital."

Katniss inspected the ring. "Yeah, you can tell you went on the cheap side."

Laughing he pulled her into a hug lifting her off her feet. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Finally she got to kiss him, forgetting all about the rebellion, those who had died and all the left over scars, tasting his familiar warmth and the faint hint of sugar.

The door banged open as Haymitch entered. Peeta put Katniss back on her feet, still not letting her go. "Well, did he ask sweetheart?"

Katniss nodded, lost for words, as usual.

"Well good. Makes me want a drink. Got anything for me Peeta?"

"Same cupboard as usual." He whispered to Katniss. "You're ready to live next to him for the rest of your life, with me. Real or not real?"

"Definitely real."


End file.
